The Goodwood Estate is a beautiful estate at any time of year, but spring in that area has a special magic of its own, even a late spring like this one! Were it not for the modern cars on the road, one could believe one had gone back at least 50 years in time, not least for the very warm and encouraging welcome that we got from the locals. All to often nowadays, the sight of a pack of hounds on the village green would result in complaints about the fact that the horses and hounds might be damaging a finely manicured bowling green that people are allowed to look at, but not use for traditional activities. Not so on this occasion, the locals came out to see the hounds and ask questions about this new sport to the area.

A very select field were able to enjoy some great downland hunting thanks to the hospitality of the Goodwood Estate and Mr Holt at Droke Farm. The first hunt started behind the Manor Farm dairy running uphill first of all before doing a loop round to cross the Monarch's Way onto stubble and running up in front of the Pillygreen Lodges to finish by the Selhurst Park road on East Dean hill.

The second started from the end of the first hunt and hounds and hounds ran downhill outside Bubholts. As they came over the brow of Shotters Ground, hounds were struggling on the dry stubble, exposed to the wind. Held on to the grass, the hounds picked up the line and ran on well below Wallerdean Hill before turning up Postcomb, where they caught their quarry. The hunt finished next door to the Haredown All Terrain Boarding Coarse and that looks like a very exciting sport - see picture below. The Master is considering challenging the Coakham Hunt to an all terrain boarding competition - after he has got in some practice!

The final hunt started at the top of North Lane, outside the historic hunting village of Charlton. Making a loop up and down North Down, the Master had to cope with the distraction of two separate lots of walkers foiling the line, before hounds settled to the line to run up Court Hill, where hounds unfortunately had to be stopped, when it became clear that the quarries had run too far off course and had the hounds been permitted to run on there was a possibility they could have run into sensitive cattle.

Pictures by Anne Brewer and Fran Baker